1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to anchoring devices for lawn care systems, and more specifically to an anchoring device for supporting a manual sprinkler head having a ground spike.
2. Description of the Related Art
The watering of lawns and flower beds is a required activity in city and suburbs throughout the country. The task can be automated by installing subsurface water piping to feed sprinklers that rise above ground and rotate when the water pressure is turned on and then settle to ground level when the water flow stops. The system can be further automated to start up at a pre-selected time and run for a predetermined amount of time. Few residences or businesses can afford a system of this type. By far, the more common method to water lawns relies on the manual placing of sprinkler heads in the area to be water and retrieving them after an appropriate time.
These sprinkler heads are typically designed with spikes firmly attached, which are pushed into the ground to support the sprinkler and removed when the watering is complete. In this operation, the setting and resetting of spiked sprinkler heads is an arduous and troublesome task. But the spiked sprinkler head must be removed as they present a hazard to children playing on the lawn and an accident waiting to happen when mowing the lawn.
An alternative to the spiked water sprinkler is the type of sprinkler wheel that is connected to a four-legged platform. These devices do avoid the need for pulling up spiked sprinklers but they are subject to tipping over under use and they can are expensive. Of course, they too must be removed before the lawn is mowed.
Clearly, the need to remove spiked sprinklers each time the lawn is to be mowed is a problem, as is the stability of the four-legged platform sprinkler. Thus, a sprinkler anchor for supporting a manual sprinkler head having a ground spike solving the aforementioned problems is desired.